


Bringing Work Home

by mansikka



Series: Unkind Words And Never Meants [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Conflict of Interests, Domestic, M/M, POV Alec, Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-17 20:45:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12373716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: Alec and Magnus attempt to come to an agreement over a professional problem that's in danger of spilling into their personal life.





	Bringing Work Home

“Don’t be mad at me,”  

Alec doesn’t even try to disguise the distress in his voice. He holds on to Magnus’ hand, comforted only that he hasn’t pulled it out of his grip; his face is turned away, though, presenting Alec with a view of his fury-clenched jaw, and a stiffness to his shoulders that says he is every kind of mad. “We said… we said we’d try to never take this kind of work stuff home again,” Alec adds, knows it’s goading for further argument, but also that it’s a fair point he’s making. Magnus huffs in that way he does when he disagrees, but is too incensed to answer without saying something barbaric, so is schooling it in, because underneath that anger that’s simmering and threatening to boil over, he doesn’t want to hurt Alec; Alec _knows_ that.

But he still can’t stand it when they’re fighting over anything. It’s not like when they’re disagreeing over things like pizza toppings, or what they’re having with their waffles in the morning, or if they’re taking a route along the river for the walk they often take when they’ve been out to dinner, instead of along a path through a magic-lit park. Those aren’t arguments, he thinks to himself, studying the weight of Magnus’ fingers, those are just part and parcel of living, of no two human beings, no matter how much they love each other, agreeing on exactly the same thing, all of the time. And Alec loves the life he lives with Magnus, every moment, even the difficult ones. He just wishes they wouldn’t have these moments of anger—despite how few and far between their arguments really are.

“This is a little more than _work stuff_ , Alec,” Magnus retorts, still refusing to look at him—and the lack of an _Alexander_ half-breaks Alec’s heart.

“I know,” Alec agrees, tentatively, doing his best to see things from both points of view. He’s got duties he has to perform for the Clave, difficult ones. Things that are going to impact some of the agreements they have with the Downworld—and Alec is already straining as hard as he can about some of the suggestions, so that impact will ultimately neither do harm, nor make any Downworlder feel threatened. It’s just that while he’s negotiating those things, he can’t be as transparent as he would want—and Magnus would like.  

Or demand, Alec thinks with a soft sigh to himself. Magnus rarely abuses the fact that they’re in a relationship to sway things in their meetings, but at times it is as though he has expectations, that Alec can’t meet, because of that. And he knows Magnus is coming from a place of concern, of looking out for his fellow Downworlders, and attempting to keep all sides balanced. But sometimes Alec feels like he’s juggling two entirely separate worlds, and occasionally struggles with how to manage that. And in fairness, Alec adds to himself, hoping to find the words that won't make this  _disagreement_ erupt, it isn't as though he hasn't, on occasion, done the same thing with Magnus; there has been more than one time when he has attempted to use his most... persuasive reasoning, to try and convince Magnus to see certain Downworld issues his way.

“You won’t like my reasons, but I’m trying to limit the fallout by not going into any of the specifics of what they’re wanting,” Alec tells him, bracing for those to be the words that send Magnus sweeping his way out of the apartment. “What’s the point of me telling you all the possible problems and difficulties these things are gonna cause, when I’m trying to do all I can to find a way round them, to stop them even happening, and have already talked them out of a couple of things they’ve no right to demand?”

“But if they’re making demands,” Magnus begins to say, turning to him properly for the first time since they arrived home, “on me, on my people—”

“Magnus,” Alec says, seizing the opportunity to cup his face and turn to him a little more himself, “I know. I know what you’re saying, I do. It’s just that… I’m trying to make them realize, that they’re not—that in _this_ , they’re not _your_ people, and the Shadowhunters aren’t the _Clave’s_ people; that we don’t have to be on two opposite sides about things all the time. And it’s… I don’t wanna give you more reason to resent us—”

“I—”

“When the things they’re talking about come from a point of view that’s in a lot of ways archaic, and most Shadowhunters don’t even want anymore. So half of what they're saying is already redundant,” Alec continues, fighting his corner as he tries to fight Magnus’, exhausted by the constant back and forth of it all over the past few days, but determined to do all he can to stop _them_ fighting. It’s just as important—in a lot of ways _more_ important, than any of that. Alec can’t function without Magnus; he’s proved that point on more than one occasion in the past. He _needs_ Magnus, and Alec knows that even when he’s furious with him, Magnus needs him just as much as well. He silently pleads with Magnus to hear him, to _listen_ to what he’s trying to tell him. Waits with as much patience as he can give himself, monitoring every nuance of expression change on Magnus’ face.  

“And you’ll tell me. The moment you know, for certain,” Magnus pushes, with an edge to his voice that Alec knows is the ingrained mistrust Magnus has for the Clave—that Alec doesn’t blame him for, not even for a moment.

“Magnus,” he says, shuffling closer, “you know I will. You _know_ ; you don’t even have to ask,”

“But I do,” Magnus sighs, his face softening as he reaches out and cups Alec’s face as well, leaning forward enough for their foreheads to be touching, and shuffling a little closer. “I _do_ have to ask. You know why,”

“Because of the Soul Sword—”

“Not because of that,” Magnus denies, following it up with a kiss pressed to his forehead, “it’s not about you, or that,”

“Then—”

“Alexander,” Magnus sighs, and Alec allows himself to relax a little, “I have had reason to mistrust the Clave, and all of its... _policies_ , since long before you came into my life,”

“I know—”

“And you are trying so hard to _fix_ everything,” Magnus adds, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, “I know you are. But it is difficult to trust _them_ —not _you_ —with everything they have done,”

Alec’s mind fills with the horror of what had almost happened with Valentine when it was Magnus in his body, and he knows Magnus has more reason for mistrust than most. He doesn’t think for a second that Magnus should just take him on his word because it’s _him_ saying the things he is, it’s just… he wants them to have a private life that really is separate from their professional one.

“I don’t expect you to,” Alec whispers to him, crowding closer, and sighing in relief when Magnus lets him wrap him up in his arms, “and I’ll never ask you to. Especially just because it’s _me_ asking.” Magnus sighs hard then, dropping his chin on to Alec’s shoulder, and lifting his own arms to pull him close. “And you’ve got… every right to keep… fighting me on points you don’t agree with in those meetings,” Alec continues, pressing kisses into the side of his head as he does, “I just… I get why it’s… _frustrating_. But I’d… I’d prefer it if we didn’t bring _that_ home. I know it’s… difficult, but—”

“But it’s not too much to ask,” Magnus sighs, his words a little tinged with contrition, pulling back enough to cup his face with both his hands and lean in to kiss him insistently, humming against his mouth.

Their kiss tastes of forgiveness, and Alec feels them seeping back together into that perfect fit they always have. When Magnus pulls back it’s with a rueful smile, his shoulders slumping even as he reaches out to hold both his hands.

“I love you,” Magnus tells him, soft and sincere, staring until Alec nods back at him and repeats the same thing back.

“Come ‘ere,” Alec whispers, rearranging them so he’s got Magnus cradled beneath him, and Magnus is immediately slotting his thumb and fingers beneath the hems of their shirts to push them up so that their stomachs are pressed together—a habit he’s developed when he needs Alec’s skin on his but just wants to hold him close for a while. Alec’s never going to object, of course, lifting up just enough to tangle his fingers through Magnus’ necklaces where he’ll play with them against his chest—a reassuring habit he’s developed of his own.

“Tell me about something from your day that _isn’t_ about that meeting,” Magnus asks, the request soft, and an attempt Alec recognizes as him wanting to still be there for him, if he’s got things he needs to talk through.

“Uh…” Alec begins, searching for something, pressing kisses into Magnus’ neck as he thinks, “we’ve got a review next week,”

“What kind of review?”

“Some… actually, she sounds amazing. I’ve never met her, but Jace is spending all his free time training, hoping to...  I don't know. Impress her, show off when she arrives. Clary thinks it's hilarious,”

Magnus smiles, huffs, and manages to look curious all at once. “What will she review?”

“It’s supposed to be an external source to ensure every Shadowhunter is physically capable of working in the field,” Alec sighs, thinking back over the message he’d received confirming the details. “She’ll be here for a week—maybe two—and she’ll meet each of the team individually to _assess their needs_ ,” Alec can’t help feel a little intruded on for it, but accepts it as one of the easier Clave hoops to jump through. Makes a mental note of a couple more Shadowhunters he needs to speak to, to bring up to speed—to make sure they'll be ready.

“Does that include a review of _your_ physical performance?” Magnus teases, and Alec’s so relieved to hear the laughter in his voice, that he ducks down to kiss him, before he can even form the words to answer. "Because I would like to think that  _I_ am the best judge of that. And I will not share," 

Alec bursts out with laughter, so light after the tension of the past few hours, and groans softly into his neck.

“It does,” Alec agrees when he leans back up, “I receive the same assessment. And then she’ll report back to me, if anyone needs any additional training or support,”

“Will that support be at the Institute here?”

“I don’t know,” Alec sighs, “this is the first… it’s a relatively new… _procedure_ ; at least, it’s the first time she’s come to New York. I hear… good things about her; I just… it feels like… I can’t help think maybe we’re being checked up on,”

“Does this happen at all the other Institutes?” Magnus asks, and Alec has to kiss him again; he’s so obviously trying to think logically, when his every instinct screams to judge the Clave immediately as doing something underhand.

“Yes,” Alec sighs when he pulls back up, “there was a long, long list of Institutes on her schedule; I can’t see how one person’s supposed to deal with all of that,”

“But she is an expert,” Magnus prompts, checking his earlier words.

“She is,” Alec agrees, nuzzling against his cheek, “she’s… I read her profile when I heard she was coming. Sounds incredible; she’s married, outside of the Clave, lives in a place just outside of Paris and keeps her personal life about as separate from work as possible. She’s… really, _really_ good at what she does, an incredible soldier; I read some reports of some of the missions she’s been on—and lead; it’s really no surprise Jace can't wait to meet her,”

“She sounds… intriguing,” Magnus settles for saying, smoothing a hand up Alec's side under his shirt.

“I’ll let you know how _intriguing_ she is once we get through her visit,” Alec retorts, though does it with a smile.

“Alexander. I am sure you will pass with flying colors, all of you. Despite my… misgivings, I happen to have it on excellent authority—from sources both good, and bad—that your _team_ at the Institute are… resourceful, if nothing else, when it comes to fighting. Hand-to-hand combat, that sort of thing,”

“Oh really,” Alec smiles, shifting a touch enough for Magnus to know he wants them on their sides, “what, and where’d you hear that?”

“I am not at liberty to say,” Magnus teases, settling his hand on Alec’s waist as he smiles at him, “besides, I’d much prefer to talk about what you’re going to do once this… _review_ is complete,”

“Like what?”

“Like,” Magnus says, though interrupts himself to kiss him, “I wondered if perhaps you would be willing to accompany me on an… outing.” Alec narrows his eyes at the way Magnus has settled on that word, his mind already racing with all sorts of possibilities. Magnus’ mouth twitches up into a teasing smile. “It is a simple question,” Magnus tells him, brushing their lips together.

“I’d… maybe I wanna know what I’m agreeing to, before I agree to it,” he fires back with, though he knows Magnus won’t push him into anything he truly doesn’t want to do. He surprises himself sometimes, though, Alec smiles to himself as he waits for Magnus to speak; there’s far more color in his closet than there was before he met Magnus, and he’s let him line his eyes with kohl with no objection at least half a dozen times. That’s _huge—_ for him, at least. He’s even _danced_ with him, willingly, more than a few times, suggested it more than once; he’d be insane not to, really, Alec smiles to himself as Magnus grins at him. At rest, Magnus is stunning, but when he’s dancing, it’s like nothing else. Magnus is beautiful to him, always, Alec thinks, with a splay of his fingers against his skin, wanting to feel more of it against him.

Magnus’ hand is creeping up further beneath his shirt, and the smile on his face suggests he knows what Alec’s thinking, and is feeling the same. “You’ll see,”

“You’ll… have to tell me sooner or later, so I know what to wear,” Alec points out, laughing as Magnus raises his hands and snaps his fingers, ridding them both of their shirts.

“I’ll pack a bag for you,” Magnus retorts, waving his hand dismissively before sliding it back down along his side with a soft hum.

“Pack?” Alec laughs, leaning in to steal a kiss. “Where’re we going?”

“Impatient, Shadowhunter,” Magnus teases, shifting until he’s got Alec pinned beneath him and is nipping along his neck, “I am sure you can exercise a little restraint,”

Alec thinks of another retort, but the smile Magnus is giving him chases away all other thoughts. He slides his hands up the length of his back, then tilts his head up to be kissed, and sinks deeper into the couch with Magnus’ reassuring warmth seeping through him, listening to the endearments muttered into his ear.

 

  
  

 


End file.
